Desperation
by SnowRedWings
Summary: Ashley Graham never thought things would change between her and Leon, but they certainly did and in the most bizarre way, the plagas to blame for their sudden... feral desires. SmutFic. Lemon. This is my rendition of Ashley, not canon. She acts how I would assume she would after what happened in Spain.


This isn't Ashley Graham as you know her. This is her, as I would see her after those events in Spain.

Ashley was sitting on the edge of her unslept in queen size bed, her room dark as she clutched her hands together. Since returning from Spain, she was dedicated to be someone better. Someone she wasn't, someone strong and unshakable. She had her father's weight room and a personal trainer, a curt woman she promised to pay back once she was out of med school. All of the young woman's free time was now dedicated to self-improvement, through study of text books and martial arts.

Soon she would be better than anyone.

Sighing, she let herself relax for a rare moment. Flopping backwards on the bed, she closed her vivid amber eyes - a side effect from the Las Plagas in her system that hadn't gone away - to shut out the dimly lit ceiling. Her cell phone was buzzing on the night stand, but she refused to touch it; it was just the alarm to tell her it was time to study. No one contacted her anymore; they were too busy with their own lives to bother with the menace she had become. Even her father looked at her differently. Pretending nothing was wrong was easy. All she had to do was attend the regular meals during the day and plaster a fake smile on her carefully reserved face. No one asked questions and no explanation was required. Pretending that her family's reservations about her didn't hurt was easy, but in this quiet room it was hard to avoid the pain in her soul.

Eventually, the alarm shut off and the room was so quiet, Ashley's ears rang. The flat screen television mounted on the wall hadn't been touched in so long it was dusty, but she grabbed the remote and turned it on anyways. Her father's speech was repeating back to her, the voice offering no comfort like it had used to. In the last year, so much had changed. Ashley was so distracted by her physical training and school; the entire world seemed to fade away in a blur of boxing gloves and paragraphs of Times New Roman font. She was fit now, more fit than she had ever been in her entire life. She could take on any body guard at the House who crossed the threshold of the boxing ring, with any of the assorted styles she had learned to defend herself with. Her muscles reacted well to the stress of training, perhaps another side effect of the infection – one that she valued. It improved her, but put the question in the back of her mind – what else was different?

Every now and then, Leon would call her. Now was such an occasion, his ring tone pervading the dull hum of electronic peace emitted by the television. Pushing talk, she held it in front of her face as if the device was diseased.

"Leon, hello," Her voice didn't crack like she had expected it would. It sounded cool; unalarmed that he had called her.

"Hey, Ash. Just thought I'd check up on you. How've you been?" His voice was almost too cheery, almost fake, Ashley noted. Her expression molded into one of a curious nature, her brow arching as she stared at the contact picture displayed on the screen. It was one they had taken together at a local amusement park, his face not typical of Leon – a bright smile on his mouth.

"Things have been okay. Just been doing stuff for college." It wasn't a lie, but it wasn't the whole truth either, a slight omission of truth. He wasn't around much, so he couldn't see the physical differences in her appearance now. How her eyes were a severe orange, her hair bleaching to a pearly white.

"Nothing else?" He sounded surprised, the noise of a car engine purring in the background. "That's not like you, Ashley." The tone morphed as if he was scolding her.

"Medical studies aren't exactly a walk in the park, Leon," She wished she could swallow those words; they sounded harsher than she had wanted them to. There was silence on the opposite end, the car noise cutting off and the door opening.

"I'm just outside. We'll talk face to face." Ashley opened her mouth to protest but the line disconnected before any words came forward in her mind. For the first time in a while, blind panic assaulted her. Leaping off the bed, she threw herself at the closet door and pulled out the biggest sweater she owned. It wouldn't hide her legs, but if she stayed sitting then he would have no reason to look at the well-muscled limbs. Shucking it over her head, she threw back the bed covers and got under them trying to look like the picture of comfort. A few moments later, a soft knock sounded on the door.

"Ashley," Leon called as he entered, smiling when he caught sight of her. She returned the expression, feeling red in the face from being caught off guard. "You look great." He leaned against the wall, his eyes on the television just as she shut it off. He was wearing casual clothes, worn blue jeans and a black shirt that clung to his well-muscled chest. She tore her eyes away before he could catch her staring.

"Oh, I was just watching some TV. About to hit the books," Her words made it sound like she was wishing he hadn't come, but if that got across to him, he pretended not to notice.

"Infomercials? Yeah. You were sitting here in the dark again, weren't you?" He had caught her once, sitting on the end of her bed as she was before, looking too tired to carry on. His behavior had been strange since they had returned home from Spain, a stark contrast to what she saw from him while they were trying to escape with their lives. Pulling her outside, taking pictures of them together. A few of said pictures were pinned to the corkboard above her desk, Ashley trying not to grimace as she looked over them. In some she didn't bother to smile, and in the ones she did, the expression looked faked. Only in one did she look truly happy, Leon's arm draped over her shoulder, their cheeks nearly touching. Leon had moved to sit on the bed by her, kicking off his shoes and folding his arms behind his head as he lay down.

"No. You just caught me at a transition." She defended herself expertly, folding her arms and rolling her eyes before looking down at him. He looked tired, more so than he did in Spain. Dark circles hollowed out under his clear eyes, his lips curved into a slight smile. He saw right through her lies. She didn't know why she bothered. Instinct ran deep, and old habits die hard.

"Sure, sure. Hand me the remote." He held out his hand, Ashley moving to hand it to him. Instead of taking the control, he moved to grab her wrist which she yanked away to avoid too perfectly. His eyes narrowed, sitting up to look down at her. "So you have been taking classes. Why? Do you think you aren't safe here? Safe with me?" For the first time she had met him, he sounded genuinely angry with her. Her brow furrowed to match his furious expression.

"It's for me. You wouldn't understand." Standing, she moved to set her hands down on her desk, back to him. "Don't ask. You never bothered to ask anyways. You were too sucked into yourself to bother with a little girl like me." The words left her mouth in a single, vicious stream of air, her shoulders quaking with barely restrained anger. She would hear if he moved, and he yet hadn't.

"What I don't get is why you do shit like this - " She yanked the pictures down and threw them in his general direction, "You can stop fucking with me and get out of my life like you were so desperate to do in Spain. You aren't being paid to watch out for me anymore. I can take care of myself. Stop acting like you're here for me." The spiteful words dug deeply into him, she could see it in his eyes as he reached for the photos, a moment of vulnerability on his handsome face.

"You're right. I don't have do shit like this," In an instant the pictures were torn in half, "Now it's like it didn't happen. Forget about it." His voice was that careful mask he wore to belly his true feelings, she recognized it from the many times he had used it while they were together. Bluffing his way passed all that opposed him, lying to himself and everyone else.

"No, I didn't ask you if you had to, I want to know why." He stood his back to her but she could still see his face in the mirror on her closet door. That same reserved expression that continuously clouded how he really felt. They were so much alike, but so incredibly different.

"I wanted to know you were okay. But you obviously aren't. Just because you aren't my target anymore, doesn't mean I don't care about you." The words held no emotion, dead to both of them. Forced. Those words expressed none of his true feelings, and she knew it.

"Sure." She responded with a shrug, walking to the adjacent bathroom as she pulled the sweater over her head, pretending not to hear the grunt of disapproval.

"This is what you've done to yourself." His voice was thick with emotion barely hidden, a torrent of feeling that Ashley couldn't quite pinpoint.

"You say that like it's a bad thing." She responded to the comment on her form, pleased by the spark of emotion in his eyes. He had turned to look at her, catching her in nothing but a tank top and shorts. Her waist was slender, muscled. Every inch of her screamed lethal, attractive. Something she was proud of. The cream colored tank top had ridden up, exposing a sliver of her pale flesh above the line of her shorts, Leon's eyes lingering there before he managed to tear his gaze away.

"You're not supposed to be like this." He groaned, sitting back down on the edge of the bed heavily, hanging his head. He had to look away from her, couldn't allow himself to watch her move. Just her appearance alone was driving him mad.

"Like what? Stronger?" She didn't go into the bathroom like she had originally planned, but turned to watch him with a curious expression as she leaned against the door jam.

"I was supposed to protect you. That was my job. Making sure you were okay. And you obviously aren't." Ashley shook her head and smiled bitterly. Just like Leon to make it about himself. Picking up the small vase next to her, she threw it at him. It thudded against his arm and fell to the bed before rolling off onto the floor. He looked up, startled.

"Shut up. You sound like a broken record. 'Oh, I should have saved Raccoon City. I should have done better for Sherry.'" She impersonated his voice the best she could, temporarily mollified when his expression became even more haunted. "Just knock it off. The past is the past. Whatever happens from this point on is all that matters. Stop beating yourself up for old shit you can't change." Leon's jaw had fallen loose, his eyes searching hers. When her hard expression softened slightly, he saw something different in her visage but it was fleeting as she jerked her head away in a flurry of messy blonde hair. When he finally collected his thoughts, she was sealed inside the bathroom with the snap of a lock, the shower turning on moments later.

Now that Ashley was alone, she could gather the thoughts storming around in her brain. The hot water was like needles against her skin but she didn't want to face him yet. She was sure he was hurting and she didn't want to see that terrible expression on his face again; it brought her no satisfaction. She needed to apologize. The rest of the shower was hurried, her hair half dried and her clothes clinging to her still damp skin but she felt better. The best she had felt in a while.

Leon had been sitting on the bed, staring at the television absentmindedly. As selfish as he was, he couldn't get the image of Ashley out of his mind. The curve of her hips and the flatness of her stomach, how standoffish she looked staring at him through her nearly white hair, the innocent girl he once knew vanishing underneath this new image. Inside, he was entirely tormented by that picture stuck in the back of his mind. His teeth worried the flesh of his lower lip until the door opened and she stepped out in a pair of shorts that hugged the tops of her thighs, and a low cut tank top that emphasized the swell of her breasts. Leon fought a groan.

The expression on her face was meek, her eyes apologetic as she looked down – a glimpse of the young woman she once was. Only then did he realize he had been holding his breath, his eyes seeking out hers. She held his gaze for a moment before looking away again, a warm blush spreading over her cheekbones.

"I'm sorry, I was out of line," She murmured, taking a hesitant step towards him, tiny toes digging into the carpet anxiously. When his face made no change, she kept taking steps until she was standing near him, a hand reaching out and pushing his bangs from his clouded gaze. He inhaled sharply, looking up at her as he took her wrist. His eyes were the same shade as hers, a muted golden orange that darkened at the edges. The room was dim, was that why she hadn't noticed?

Those strange eyes burned her. Oh, how they burned. Ashley gasped softly, her eyes widening slightly as his thumb slid along her pulse point, caressing her skin until she felt goose bumps prickling from head to toe. The atmosphere of the room shifted and the tension between them was almost palpable.

"Ash.." His voice was soft, his eyes full of unreadable emotions as he stood, his hand shifting from her wrist to cup her chin. Her head tilted back, her tongue sneaking out to wet her lips in anticipation. Her quivering hand lifted to clutch the hem of his shirt, fingertips brushing against the skin just above his jeans. Leon lurched, his hips pressing forward against her touch. Encouraged by his response, her fingers kept up their path along his skin, dipping into his jeans only by as much as she dared. He groaned, the noise almost a growl as his lips claimed hers in a hungry kiss that nearly overwhelmed her. His other hand moved to her hair, wrapping it in his fingers at the nape of her neck, holding her against him. Never did Ashley think she would have found herself in his situation with Leon, her mind going pleasantly blank as his tongue touched her bottom lip, asking for entrance – she happily obliged. Her damp skin was no longer cool, super-heated by the desire coursing through her veins, his tongue moving with hers. His teeth nipped her lip, eliciting a soft whimper that sounded strange to her ears.

"Ashley, I want you." His voice was wild, unfamiliar in her ears as he moved his mouth to her neck, his teeth claiming the flesh there. Her heart was hammering so hard she thought it might explode out her chest, waking her from his dream. Yes, she had fallen asleep watching her father ramble about his reelection. Part of her mind wandered – Was Leon affected by the Las Plagas like she was? Those eyes told her yes, yes he was but something else was different about him. His body was much leaner, his arms strong under her shaking hands. Her train of thought disappeared like fog under the rising sun, whisked away when his tongue laved at the mark he left on the porcelain of her skin.

His breath was cool, labored against her shoulder before his teeth sank into another spot on her neck. Ashley tipped her head to give him more access, need gnawing at the pit of her stomach – _hungry_. Suddenly, they twirled and he was pressing her back into the bed. His mouth covered hers as her hands dropped to unsnap his jeans, delving down into them just enough to tease. Leon responded with a sharp groan, his stomach dipping inwards as he inhaled sharply, fingers expertly tearing away the straps of her flimsy tank top. Ashley needed to touch him, her body burning with desire to feel his skin against hers. With little effort, he tore the remnants of the shirt and let forth a low groan of appreciation when her torso came into view. His hands palmed her heavy breasts, a keen cry breaking the hazy silence of the room as he massaged her.

"Need you." Leon buried himself against her neck again, voice muffled by her skin but still so clear in her ear. Another groan erupted from her mouth, body arching against his as he nursed the mark he left on her earlier. Every touch he graced her with vibrated through her blood like an explosion, leaving a twisting knot of yearning deep inside her. She needed more.

In a bold move she encased his pelvis with her knees, tilting them until she was on top with her hips resting across his. The friction was delicious, her body rocking against his of its own accord as she braced herself against his heaving chest. She could feel him under her, rock hard and straining against the thin fabric of his boxer shorts, throbbing with a need that mirrored her own. Slowly and very deliberately, she shifted her hips backwards and shivered as a spasm of pleasure washed over her. His hands sought out her hips, nails digging into the softness there as his back lifted from the bed and his mouth contorted in a strangled cry. He pulled her hips forward, body writhing.

"If you like those shorts, take them off now." Leon growled, sitting up and effectively pushing her off of him. His voice was dark and full of unhidden desire, his hand moving to free his arousal from its confines. Ashley's faced reddened further and she bit her lip, slowly pulling the tight fabric down her hips as she wriggled herself free. Leon watched with unblinking oculars, breathing hard as his hand shifted up and down the long shaft of his member, lurching occasionally when a spike of ecstasy ran through him. He needed to be buried inside of her, needed it like he needed air; at that moment he would give anything just to have her. Every fiber of his being was screaming for her, blood boiling in his veins when her hand drifted to the apex of her legs. She ran a single finger down into her sex, shivering when she traced over her most sensitive area. Leon couldn't tear his eyes away as she stuck that same finger in her mouth and suckled it clean, Ashley slowly pulling it from her mouth in a tantalizing manner that only pushed him further into frenzied lust.

The room was too hot, Leon shedding his shirt before pulling her back onto his lap. Her wetness slid over him easily, her hips slipping back and force as she continued to tease low cries from his deep inside his chest. The sounds were guttural, spurred on by carnal desire that threatened to tear him apart. His arms twined around her lower back to lift her, pulling her down onto his throbbing cock. He filled her until she felt she was going to rip in two, head tilting back in a silent cry that she didn't have the power to voice. He lifted her as he pulled out, pushing her back down as he crashed back into her. Her nails tore at his back, her cries loud and raspy as he had his violent way with her.

He had shifted again, pushing her into the bed. His mouth claimed hers in a fevered kiss that left her lips feeling swollen and bruised in the short seconds that he pulled away to cry out, her muscles coiling tightly as she neared the sweet edge of climax. She was standing over that cavern of darkness, her toes digging into the dirt before she let go and drifted for a sweet moment of prolonged ecstasy. When he lifted her left leg and hooked it over his shoulder, pushing into her harder and farther, she fell. She was spiraling into the dark, her slick walls clamping down over him in ripples that pulled him over the cliff with her. He growled in her ear as he found his release, collapsing onto her with a shuddering sigh. He released the vice grip he had on her thighs, nails dragging along the flesh as he did so, Ashley whimpering as a sweet pain lanced through her. Another sigh later and she was settled under the blankets, falling into a deep and dreamless sleep.

Ashley opened her eyes, disoriented and sore. The room was pitch black and full of the soft sounds of breathing. Her hand explored the other side of the bed, brushing across a familiar arm that had her pulling her fingers back with a shocked gasp. The memories came flooding back to her in a rose colored rush, her face burning as blood pooled under her skin: She had slept with Leon.

"Leon, wake up." She whispered, shaking his shoulder gently. He stirred, breathing pattern stuttering as he pulled himself from sleep. It was a moment later before he turned his head, hand slipping across the smooth sheet until it came in contact with her leg.

"Ash? You okay?" His voice sounded like the one she knew, thick from sleep and no longer that strange tone morphed by all-consuming lust. He sat up and yawned quietly, clicking on the bedside light. Ashley squeezed her eyes closed against the sudden brightness, rubbing her lids before she managed to pull them back. Leon's expression was unreadable, his fingertips tracing over the bite marks he had left on her neck. His brows furrowed together, confusion flitting across his face before it dawned on him and he pulled his hand back.

"I don't know what came over me." He whispered almost in wonder as he tilted his head, brows knitting closer together. Ashley touched the mark and shivered pleasantly at the memories it evoked, eyelids fluttering as a coil of desire settled itself in her belly.

"I loved it." She murmured, Leon's gaze immediately shifting to her face. She bit down on her lip and he gave her a smirk, "I wouldn't mind a repeat of that." His eyes flared at her, light filtering through his irises and making them appear dark – more sinister.

"I can't explain it," He spoke as he shifted towards her, hand braced against the bed near her bare hip as he leaned over the her, "But, whenever I look at you –" He captured her mouth in a searing kiss, " – I need to touch you. I have to. " The words came out sounding like a snarl, the unfamiliar voice rising again as he wrapped an arm around the small of her back and pulled her closer.

Ashley hummed into the next kiss, wrapping her arm around his naked shoulders lazily as he peppered her mouth with sweet affection, fingertips roaming over the rivets she had carved into his skin. The kisses grew deeper with each separation of their mouths, lips sticking together as they briefly parted. She curled herself around him with feline grace, Leon capturing her hand to press it against his stomach and slowly slide it downwards.

"Up for more already, Leon?" Her voice was dulcet and seductive; eyes glowing with desire as he leaned back to look at her face. He chuckled and captured her mouth again, pushing her back into the bed without another word.


End file.
